The Court Martial
by AngryLeaf
Summary: Spock makes what may or may not be a decision based more on emotion than on logic. Uhura pays the consequences. She admits her guilt, but was she really in the wrong? Crucial edit in Chapter 2!
1. Day One, part I

_Right now_

Spock watched Nyota Uhura walk towards the table where he sat waiting. The pale grey jumpsuit she wore was ill-fitting, the soft, low-heeled shoes clunky and unflattering. The expression on her beautiful face when she sat across from him was unwelcoming.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her dark eyes cool, but almost overflowing with suspicion.

"I wished to see how you fared, Nyota," he explained. "This is not what I wished for you when I made my report."

"I disobeyed a direct order," she told him, her face stern. "I am guilty. No one has disputed that. 'This'" she indicated the visiting room with a flick of her long, slender fingers, "is all that should have been _expected_, Commander."

He did not allow her to see how her forced formality struck him. It was not reasonable to expect a warmer response. Not under the current circumstances. Indeed, he would not have expected such a thing under _any_ circumstances since his return to the Enterprise. She had, in fact, been more congenial towards him over the past two years three months and three days than many would say was warranted. Still, he had illogically hoped to find a more amiable Nyota Uhura sitting across from him.

"I was enquiring about your comfort, Lieutenant," he replied, and even his own use of her title discomfited him.

Her lips formed a sardonic smirk that did not match the weariness mixed with fear displayed by her eyes.

"Watch it. I'll be lucky if I leave here an ensign, Commander," she said, "if I'm not drummed out of the Fleet altogether. And that's if I ever get to leave here at all."

Spock only just stopped himself from wincing at the defeat that lay behind her falsely carefree pronouncement. He had not considered the breaking of her spirit to be one of the potential products of the court martial. It was not something he had ever thought possible.

"I calculate the likelihood of your eventual complete exoneration to be seventy-six point two percent," he stated simply. Inside, he was pleading desperately for the strong, fearless woman he loved to show herself.

"You're not perfect, Commander, and neither are your calculations," she replied. "And even if they were, that still leaves me with a twenty-three point eight percent chance of remaining in prison for the next twelve years. At the very least, I'll get a transfer, probably planet-side. Can't risk having a rogue like me out amongst the stars, you know?

"But, Spock?" He wondered if she realized she had reverted to a more personal address. Noting her eyes were unfocused in the manner of a human who was 'looking inward,' so to speak, he suspected she did not. "The stars are all I ever wanted. If they take those away from me too… "

He did not miss the "too" at the end of the sentence she did not complete. He understood that "too" referred not to anything that Starfleet Command had taken from her, but rather to the day they had ended their romantic relationship.

"_At the culmination of our five-year mission, I will join my father's people on the colony planet my elder self has found for us,_" he had told her. "_While I would prefer to continue our association until that time, I will understand if you do not find such an arrangement to be acceptable._"

Of course, just as he had suspected, she had found his offer to continue on as lovers _un_acceptable. Her decision hadn't stopped either one of them loving the other. And somehow — perhaps because she was Nyota Uhura and had expected for many years to eventually become the mate of a Vulcan — she had somehow managed to set aside her disappointment and become his friend again.

She had remained sympathetic to him and his choices up until the moment she had disobeyed his direct order in an attempt to save the Enterprise. As a result of his decision to follow procedure and include her actions in his official report of the incident, she had been court-martialed. He did not know if she would ever support him again.

That her efforts in saving the ship, and possibly the Federation, had proven successful were to her benefit.

"The peoples of the Federation consider you a hero twice over, Nyota," he told her, letting a little of what he was feeling — a mix of despair, hope, love and fear — seep into his words. "Starfleet Command is aware of this, and that knowledge shall undoubtedly have an effect on your sentencing, if not in the determination of whether your actions were warranted. I cannot believe you would be incarcerated for more than three to five years even in a worst-case scenario."

The smirk made an appearance again, and Spock's desire for gaining her forgiveness plunged several down the ladder of hope.

"That would still be three to five years in prison, Commander," she said. "Granted, because the people _do_ believe I'm a hero, it's a very nice prison." Her eyes hardened. "To answer your earlier question, they like me here, so I 'fare' quite well.

"Fortunately for you, at worst, in your words, it will be one to four years after you've left to go 'rebuild your race' before I leave my cozy little cell, and you won't have to think about what the time has meant for me."

The words had been said in a matter-of-fact manner; there was no trace of bitterness or anger in her flat, impassive tone. He knew that did not mean she did not feel both or either. She needed to know he was not as unaffected by the situation as she believed him to be.

"You are wrong, Nyota," he said. "Whenever you are released, whether you are convicted or cleared of all charges, I shall be waiting for you. Even if I must resign my commission to do so.

"I will not be joining the colony to take a Vulcan mate."

* * *

Author's Notes: This is going to be a short fic, comprised of very short chapters. I must give special thanks to TeaOli for encouraging me to play in her _Once and Future_ (/s/5293456/1/Once_and_Future) sandbox. She has generously allowed me to re-imagine that world to suit my purposes.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


	2. Day One, part II

_Months earlier, the Enterprise_

**Personal log of Chief Communications Officer, Lt. Uhura, Stardate 2260.103**

Negotiations with the Deoraíochti have broken down in the wake of a misunderstanding between Captain Kirk and Taoiseach Granuaile's consort. The Taoiseach has requested that the Federation persuade my mother to participate in further talks.

In the mean time, the captain is recovering from his injuries in a medical facility on Tír ar Deoraíocht. Doctor McCoy was allowed to examine the captain and has determined that he would receive better treatment onboard the Enterprise.

The Taoiseach will not allow us to retrieve the captain without a guarantee that we will not simply leave the sector once he is with us again. She asked me if I would be willing to stand as hostage in Captain Kirk's stead. As I know Deoraíochti culture well — Kirk could have avoided the fight had he paid heed to my briefings — both through of my mother's many stories dealings with them and from several visits I made to their Tír ar Deoraíocht as a teenager, I agreed. There is little danger that I will make any missteps with these people.

Cmdr. Spock does not agree.

He has ordered me to remain on the Enterprise, in spite of (he says because of) the threatening noises the Taoiseach has been making since she learned of the commander's opinion of their intentions.

According to Starfleet Regulation 533.77, subsection 23, in the event of an emergency, an officer may disregard the orders of a superior if obeying said orders will unduly endanger a significant number of other crewmembers, civilians and/or other "friends of the Federation and Starfleet."

The regulation is rather imprecise, I realize, and my application of it is vaguer still, but I believing that getting the captain back so that he can receive adequate treatment and a shielding a crew of 433 other souls from the possibility of a bombardment of Deoraíochti armaments should fit the "significant number" requirement.

* * *

_Earlier today, the courtroom_

Nyota tried to swallow her nervousness as Spock finished delivering his clear, strictly factual testimony for the prosecution and her appointed representative, Lt. Emma Hargrove prepared to cross examine him.

"Is it possible, Cmdr. Spock," the defender began, "that you ordered Lt. Uhura not to continue negotiations with the Deoraíochti because you, her former betrothed, who admittedly did not break off your engagement because of a loss of esteem, were afraid for her life? Did you order Lt. Uhura not to return to the planet's surface after Captain Kirk was injured in spite of knowing that she might be the only person on hand who could prevent them from destroying the USS Enterprise, thereby inciting a war with the Federation?"

"At the time, I did not believe that the Deoraíochti posed such a danger to the Enterprise," he answered.

"You did not answer the question, Cmdr. Spock. Did you make an emotional decision when you told your former lover she was not allowed to complete the job Starfleet Command, at the request of Taoiseach Granuaile, specifically her sent to Tír ar Deoraíocht to do?"

Spock did not answer right away. Nyota held her breath throughout his silence.

She had argued against her defender using this line of defense. She had not wanted to be the cause of Spock's shame.

"_So, you'd rather go to prison for twelve years than cause him a little embarrassment?" Hargrove had countered._

_Protests that for one who followed the path of Surak even an implication that he had abandoned logic in order to follow his emotions would cause more than "a little embarrassment" had been useless._

"_We're talking about your _freedom_ here, Nyota," Hargrove had argued. "We both know he could have handled this on the ship. Everyone knows you Enterprisers don't always go by the book. Breaking the rules is practically_ the _rule on your ship. And this time, by breaking the rules, you saved hundreds, and possibly thousands, of lives. Where does his 'path of Surak' stand in contrast to that?"_

"I did not wish for the lieutenant to needlessly endanger her life," he said at last. "My decision, while not entirely devoid of the influence of my regard for her, was logical. Captain Kirk had already been severely wounded during our initial encounter with the Deoraíochti. It was reasonable to expect Lt. Uhura might suffer a similar fate if she changed places with him."

"Was the word of the Deoraíochti Taoiseach insufficient guarantee of Lt. Uhura's safety, Commander Spock?" asked Lt. Hargrove. "You were aware, were you not, of former Under-ambassador Uhura's work with the Deoraíochti? Were you aware that their favorable dealings with the under-ambassador were the very reason the Enterprise had been entrusted with this mission?"

"Lt. Uhura is not her mother," he replied, his steady gaze never wavering from the defending lawyer, "and fragile alliances often break down amid circumstances such as those we found ourselves in. I was not willing to risk the lieutenant's well-being on the memory of a tenuous relationship formed with a woman who left the Diplomatic Corps nearly twenty-five years ago."

Hargrove studied Spock intently before moving in for the kill.

"Commander Spock," she said quietly, several beats after he had finished speaking, "would you have had the same reservations about continuing negotiations had the Taoiseach requested the presence of any officer other than Lt. Uhura?"

Nyota held her breath as Spock's silence stretched on again.

"No," he said after what felt like hours had passed. "I would not have."

Nyota exhaled.

* * *

_Right now_

"You can't just tell you're going to wait for me," she told him, feeling something like a mixture of anger and desperation and, unaccountably, joy pushing against the inside of her chest.

"You cannot prevent me from telling you my intentions," he countered. "You do not have to accept me back into your life when the time comes, but I cannot unsay what has already been said. I will wait for you, Nyota, whether or not you wish for me to do so."

She wanted to be able to say that she did _not_ want him waiting, that she didn't want to _know_ he was waiting. It would have been a lie, and he would know it was a lie, so she didn't say anything at all.

Staring at the unadorned grey (to match her prison gear) wall to her left, she missed seeing him reach across the table to cover the hands she pressed against the hard synthetic surface. There was not time to prepare herself. The moment she felt the love and concern he projected through the temporary link, felt him attempting to sense what she was feeling, she tried to snatch her hands away.

He was too quick for her, of course. Too fast and too strong. Her hands were as imprisoned in his as the rest of her was in the Starfleet penitentiary.

"Neither of us has ever pretended we stopped loving each other," he pointed out. "I see no reason for you to be surprised to receive confirmation of my continued regard."

Her eyes met his and she knew they had to be bright with anger. Even if he couldn't read them, he would definitely feel her rage through the link. When she tried to pull away again, he let her.

"That's not what I meant!" she rasped, unable to raise her voice through the storm of conflicting emotion that battered her core. "It's one thing to believe you love me while knowing I still love you even though there's _no_ chance for us — because that's something that I can get past; it's something I _was_ getting over. Why do you think it's fair to make me go through all that again?"

His eyes never changed. The release of her hands was the most reaction she had been able to get out of him.

"It was not my intention that you should have to relive my past transgressions," he told her quietly. "This time, I will not abandon you."

She hated knowing that part of her — the larger part — wanted to take him at his word, trust that no obstacles would crop up, preventing him from doing as he intended. She'd been hurt, but not angered, by his decision more than two years before. And she'd understood _why_ he'd made the choice he did.

This, she didn't understand. The hope welling up in her was frightening.

"Guard!" she called.

When the friendly, sandy-haired man wearing a uniform that consisted of a tunic in a slightly darker grey than her jumpsuit, and trousers that were slightly lighter, she stood.

"Commander Spock is finished here, Geoff," she told him. "I'm ready to go back."

Geoff gave the still-seated half-Vulcan a genial nod, and then led Nyota back to her cell.

* * *

Author's Note: Special thanks to TeaOli for letting me to re-imagine what happened after Spock told Nyota he was leaving at the end of the first 5-year-mission. This story takes place in a version of her _Once and Future_ (/s/5293456/1/Once_and_Future) world.

Find a history of Nyota's mom at her profile (/u/1992023/TeaOli), though I think M'Umbha Uhura (the name, at least) is quasi-canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


	3. Day Two, part I

_Months earlier, the Enterprise_

Uhura stood behind the console in the main transporter room, fisted hands on her hips.

"Mr. Spock's orders were clear. I cannae beam ye doon there, Ms. Uhura," Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott warned, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "I know you know yer way around the board of a transporter console, but I certainly cannae have you lookin' over my shoulder whilst I clear away the coordinates you would need to enter into the console in Transporter Room G if you were of a mind to engage the auto-transport mechanism and beam yourself doon."

"I wouldn't dream of looking over your shoulder," she said, moving slightly so that she was standing directly beside him. It was the work of a few seconds for her to glance at the board and memorize the needed coordinates.

Her task complete, she leaned over and kissed his ruddy cheek. "Thanks, Scotty," she whispered, her lips pressed directly against his ear.

"You be careful, lass," he said.

With a short nod, she turned and exited the room.

* * *

_Earlier today, the visiting room  
_

"Emma Hargrove going to try to make this about Spock, and he played right into her hands yesterday," Nyota told her captain. "She'll try to save me by taking him down. Don't let that happen, Kirk. Promise me."

James Tiberius Kirk reached across the visiting room table to take the communications officer's hand. He bit back a smile when she quickly tucked it into her lap and bit lip.

"Look Uhura, it's all well and good that you and your boyfriend both willing to sacrifice yourselves to save each other," he told her, deliberately adopting a condescending tone that he hoped would goad her into showing some backbone, "but I'm not selling you up the river to appease his Vulcan sensibilities. Especially not after he already trashed them with his testimony."

She glared at him then. The familiar death stare — the one he'd first felt in a crowded bar in Iowa — caught him in its fire. He nearly smiled at the sight of it. _Good_, he thought, _Uhura's still in there_.

"I'm not asking you to keep him from getting his feelings hurt," she hissed, leaning forward in her seat. "You need to do this in order to save his career!"

"Spock will be fine," he said, his voice once again reflecting his genuine respect for the woman before him, "He's too valuable to Starfleet for them to make him take the blame.

"This is about me, and you know it. Nathan Jones has had it in for me since they gave me the Enterprise. He just can't stand it that a snot-nosed delinquent got the big ship, but I'm not going to let him take it out on members of my crew."

"Jim," she breathed, her voice and her face softer now, "there are things about me you don't know. _I'll_ be fine. No matter what happens, I'm going to be okay. Spock… he's brilliant, but they might happily send him off to the colony after this. They've been bending over backwards to please the Vulcans anyway.

"He needs you, Jim. I don't."

"I know more that you think I do," he said, finally allowing her to see the grin he'd been holding inside. "Genius, remember? I can figure shit out.

"The thing is, Nyota, I don't care what secrets you're hiding, or how many friends you have in high places; you're one of mine and I'm always gonna have your back."

* * *

_Right now, the court room_

"With all due respect, Lt. Cmdr. Jones," Kirk said, frustration clouding his face, "the whole incident was essentially my fault. Had I paid closer Lt. Uhura's briefing, the misunderstanding would never have happened and she would not have needed to invoke Regulation 533.77, subsection 23 in order to save my sorry ass."

"Are you saying that Cmdr. Spock's behavior was negligent, then?" the prosecutor asked, pointedly ignoring the young captain's informal language. "Are you saying he was wrong to try to prevent Lt. Uhura from complying with the Taoiseach's terms?"

"I don't believe _either_ of my officers were in the wrong. Cmdr. Spock did his job to the best of his ability given the information he had," Kirk told him through clenched teeth. "Lt. Uhura made her decision based on her deeper understanding of Deoraíochti beliefs, culture and law. Had time not been of the essence, I'm fully certain they would have been available to reach an understanding."

The prosecutor sent him what Kirk figured was supposed to pass for a look of surprise. The captain wasn't fooled, and suspected that no one else was, either.

"Oh really?" he asked. "You're certain of this? And why is that, Captain?"

Kirk grimaced. He'd left himself open for this one.

"Spock and Uhura work well together," he said reluctantly. "They always have. Before this, at least. They don't always agree, but they understand each other, and they find a way to make things work. Together, the two of them have kept me from making more mistakes out there than I can count. If Uhura hadn't believed the situation to be dire, I believe they would have come to an agreement this time, too."

The prosecutor stared at the floor near his feet, pretending to consider the captain's words.

"You say that Cmdr. Spock and Lt. Uhura usually find a way 'to make things work,'" he stated, pinning Kirk with his cold eyes. "Is that what they were doing when they commenced a romantic relationship while she was still a cadet?"

___________

Uhura only just barely choked back a gasp. Without her permission, her eyes found Spock on the other side of the courtroom. To the untrained eye, it was not apparent that he had reacted to the unsubtle accusation. She knew better.

Cmdr. Hargrove stood up and turned to the panel of judges.

"Objection," she said, her voice deadly quiet. "The origins of Lt. Uhura's and Cmdr. Spock's personal relationship has no bearing on the events leading up to this trial, and besides which, as he is a member of that relationship, I hardly think Captain Kirk is qualified to qualify on their intentions at the time."

Pretty sure her representative had objected more because Jones had used (though in a more twisted manner) an argument Hargrove wanted to use, herself, Uhura prayed to any deities that might be listening for the judges to end the prosecutor's line of questioning.

The judges looked at one another briefly and the three exchanged silent nods.

"Never mind," the prosecutor said before the lead judge could speak, "I withdraw the question."

___________

Spock watched his captain and friend dodge question after inappropriate question shot at him first from Nathan Jones and then from Emma Hargrove.

He admitted that Jim's frequent assertion that Lt. Cmdr. Jones harbored a personal dislike for the young captain might have merit. The equally young prosecutor seemed intent on implicating at least one of the starship's senior officers. That he did not appear to care which one only weakened his case against Nyota.

Emma Hargrove, in contrast, was determined to secure her client's release by any means she could find. Apparently, she had deemed painting Spock as repressed, depressed and incapable of making logical decisions whenever Nyota Uhura was involved as her best strategy.

But Cmdr. Hargrove also was what Leonard McCoy would call a "do-gooder" as well as what the doctor _had_ called a "pit bull." She did not give a lesser defense simply because her opponent was too embroiled in his quest for revenge to be competent. In spite of her attempts to destroy his reputation, Spock was pleased to know that the future of Nyota's freedom was at least partially in this woman's hands.

* * *

Author's Note: I made a small edit to chapter 1 to better explain Spock's actions. For those who don't want to go back, he didn't specifically write Nyota up — he just included her disobedience in his official report. He wasn't trying to get her in trouble; he just thinks following the rules is imperative.

Thanks again to baby sister for letting me use her universe.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


	4. Day Two, part II

_Six weeks earlier, Captain's ready room, the Enterprise_

"They're investigating Uhura because of what happened with the Deoraíochti ," Kirk said, shaking his head as he turned away from the communications screen. "How stupid it that? If they need to investigate someone, it should be _me_! I'm the one who almost blew the whole deal because I didn't listen to her."

He let out an amused chuckle and looked up at his still-silent first officer. Spock stood motionless, continuing to read the communication.

"What?" he asked. "So, we have to detour to Starbase Fifteen instead of heading out to the Laurentian System right away. I know there was a nebula on the way that you wanted to check out, and we'll be approaching from a completely different sector if we're coming from Fifteen, but this shouldn't take too long. Maybe we'll have time to swing by you nebula _after_ we leave the system."

He laughed at the end of his speech, but Spock didn't take his eyes off the screen.

"They are not investing Lt. Uhura's role in what occurred during your initial visit to the surface of Tír ar Deoraíocht, Jim," the half-Vulcan told him. "Representatives of Starfleet Command are gathering information about her actions aboard the Enterprise. She has been accused of disobeying orders in such a manner that multiple lives and the peace of the Federation were threatened.

"She is in danger of being court-martialed."

Kirk swung his chair back around and quickly read through the entire communication. Spock was right.

"What the _fuck_?" he growled. "Who the hell would accuse her of 'endangering the peace of the Federation'?"

Spock's voice was even graver than usual when he answered.

"Apparently, Jim, I did."

* * *

_Right now, the courtroom_

"Doctor McCoy, prior to returning to Tír ar Deoraíocht against Cmdr. Spock's orders, Lt. Uhura stated in her personal log that she was motivated by your belief that Captain Kirk's condition required treatment aboard the Enterprise," Cmdr. Hargrove. "She cited Regulation 533.77, subsection 23 as justification for her actions both in her log and, later, in her official report, stating that saving the captain was more important than following the commander's order.

"In your estimation, was the captain's life ever in danger?"

Bones frowned. _What the hell was the girl getting at?_ he wondered. She'd read his own report, of course, so she already knew the answer to the question. He wasn't certain that an honest answer would help Uhura in this kangaroo court.

"His life was not in immediate danger, Cmdr. Hargrove," he said, "however, because he had violated Deoraíochti custom, the treatment he was receiving was substandard. His condition was likely to deteriorate if they continued to withhold more advanced treatment."

"And this deterioration would have been life-threatening?"

"It could have become that way," he told her, fearing that his testimony wouldn't be enough.

"Thank you, Doctor," the commander said. "No further questions.

Her strategy became clear the moment Jones began his cross-examination. Suddenly, Jim and Spock seemed a little less insane.

"Doctor McCoy," the young prosecutor said, "you have testified that the captain's life wasn't in danger yet when Lt. Uhura disobeyed Cmdr. Spock's orders. As far as you know, Doctor, does Lt. Uhura possess a medical degree?"

Bones's jaw dropped. _What the hell?_ He tried to meet Ms. Uhura's eyes, but she was watching Spock who sat to the right of the defense table in the circular courtroom.

"As far as I know, she does not," he said aloud.

"Does she have any advanced medical training at all, Doctor?"

"Everybody get field medic's training to some, degree," Bones testified. "Uhura had a little more because that's her way, but she's not a doctor, no."

"So, she was not in a position to accurately assess the level of treatment Captain Kirk was receiving and determine that by leaving him on Tír ar Deoraíocht she would be dooming her captain to death, correct?" Jones did a piss-poor job of dampening down the smug smile stretching across his thin lips.

A fierce scowl warred with a delighted grin as Bones heard the man laying his own trap. He let the scowl win.

"That's right, Lt. Cmdr. Jones," he said. "Assessing the captain's treatment was _my_ job and _I_ told Uhura that Jim was likely to die before he recovered if he had to stay in that Deoraíochti hospital."

The look on Jones's face was priceless. Bones hoped someone was recording the proceedings.

"That will be all, Doctor," Jones said.

"Any time," Bones told him as he left the stand.

* * *

_Earlier that day (between court sessions), Jim Kirk's quarters, the Enterprise_

"Jones is an idiot, Bones," Jim told him. "You don't have to worry about it. Just say what you said in your report and she'll be okay."

He leaned back in his chair and took a deep draft of his coffee.

"I concur with the captain's assessment of the situation, Leonard," Spock said from the other side of the table. "Lt. Cmdr. Jones seems to be pursuing this case solely because of the antipathy he bears towards Jim. He has not prepared a strong case against the lieutenant. It is surprising that the matter has even come to trial."

Bones shot the half-Vulcan a dirty look.

"This 'matter' as you call it would never have been known to anyone outside the ship if you hadn't been so damned determined to put every god-damned thing in your precious report," he snarled. "Haven't the past two years taught you that we don't always need to follow the rules in order to do the right thing? That's the way it's worked on this boat ever since we first shipped out, in case you haven't noticed."

Spock's stoic demeanor seemed to melt for a nanosecond as a flicker of some unreadable emotion interrupted his impassive expression.

"In fact, I _have_ noticed, Leonard," he said. "Unfortunately, I did not learn the merits of minor rebellion in time to keep Nyota from being charged. I am confident she will wish for me to spend the remainder of her life making up for it."

The doctor wanted to snort at the hobgoblin's audacity, but settled for shaking his head in disbelief.

"You really think she's going to take you back after this kind of a royal fuck-up?"

The first officer's lips thinned, but it seem to be in anger or even in frustration. Bones couldn't figure it out.

"Hope springs eternal, Leonard," he said.

Jim choked on his coffee he was laughing so hard. Catching his breath, he patted Spock on the back, hard. "That's my man," he said. "You're just gonna wear her down until she says 'yes,' aren't you?"

Spock's lips twitched up this time. "I have already made considerable progress in the endeavor," he said.

Bones shook his head again.

_I'm surrounded by genius-level morons,_ he told himself.

* * *

Author's Note: Special thanks to TeaOli for letting me to re-imagine what happened after Spock told Nyota he was leaving at the end of the first 5-year-mission. This story takes place in a version of her _Once and Future_ (/s/5293456/1/Once_and_Future) world.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


	5. Day Three, part I

_Months earlier, the Enterprise_

**Acting Captain's log by Commander Spock, ****Stardate 2260.107**

Citing Starfleet Regulation 533.77, subsection 23, Lt. Uhura defied my order to remain aboard the Enterprise, and returned to the surface of Tír ar Deoraíocht and exchanged herself for Captain Kirk.

The captain is now in Sick Bay, where Dr. McCoy has taken over treating him both for his initial injuries and for the substandard treatment which, according to their laws, was all he was entitled to while amongst the Deoraíochti. McCoy has assured me that Captain Kirk will be ready to return to duty within the week.

I have notified Starfleet Command that negotiations with the Deoraíochti have resumed under the guidance of Lt. Uhura. The Taoiseach has retracted her request to have former Under-ambassador Uhura come to their planet to finish conducting the talks.

I find the events of the past six days to have been… extremely enlightening.

* * *

_Earlier today, the courtroom_

Montgomery Scott breathed a sigh of relief. Emma Hargrove had asked him straightforward questions that he had felt no conflict in answering. Ms. Uhura's defender seemed good at her job and he was confident that she would get his friend off. That the woman was willing to see Mr. Spock's reputation smudged in the process couldn't be helped.

The prosecutor, from what he had seen, was another story. The man had become almost comical as the days had gone by. Scotty wasn't averse to helping him along.

"Lt. Cmdr. Scott," Jones began, "how did Lt. Uhura return to the surface of Tír ar Deoraíocht if you had been given orders not to allow anyone to beam back down to the planet?"

Scotty shifted in his seat. It was clear as a Highland burn that the prosecutor had an ax to grind with any and all Enterprise personnel. Scotty didn't think much of a man who would try to take down a whole crew just to get back at their captain. Especially when that man started with spreading bollocks about someone like Ms. Uhura.

"Lt. Uhura knows her way around a transporter console, doesn't she?" he replied. "She was at the top of class at the Academy. Communications is a subsidiary of Engineering, ye ken. It's no' just about makin' calls and speakin' fancy languages."

Jones grinned evilly at Scotty, but the engineer noticed that he wiped the toothy smile off his face before turning to face the judges. When he looked at the witness box again, he was trying to look composed and professional.

"Are you implying, Lt. Cmdr. Scott, that Lt. Uhura was able to transport herself down to the planet's surface?" he asked.

Puffing himself up a bit, Scotty refused to be intimidated. _Really, the others were right about Jones. The man was likely to get caught up in his own trap_.

"I'm no' implyin' anythin', Prosecutor Jones," he answered, laying the accent down thick. "I was merely pointin' oot tha' Ms. Uhoora is one of the most capable officers in her field, and that she has far more knowledge of engineerin' than was required for her to learn for her official trainin'. She was more than capable of transportin' herself doon, if necessary. And from what I now know of the situation, it certainly sounds as if it were necessary."

"Lt. Cmdr," sniffed Jones.

"Yes?" said Scotty.

Jones sneered.

"I meant you are to address me as 'Lt. Cmdr. Jones,'" the prosecutor clarified, "not 'Prosecutor Jones.'"

Scotty sat up straighter. _This man is obviously stalling_, he thought.

"Oh! Beggin' yer pardon," he said, stretching out the words and giving his burr as much stress as he could manage. It was becoming difficult to bite back a mocking smile. "I wasnae implyin' anythin' 'Lt. Cmdr. Jones'. I was merely pointin' oot tha—"

"Thank you, Lt. Cmdr. Scott," Jones snapped. "I believe you've already given us your opinion of Lt. Uhura's skills."

"Well, now, it's no' just my opinion, ye ken," Scotty protested. "These are cold, hard facts. She is verra capable, our Lt. Uhoora, is."

Jones shook his head in apparent disbelief, but apparently thought better of engaging the Scotsman further. Changing tacks, he began a new line of questioning.

"Lt. Cmdr. Scott, you say that Communications is a subsidiary of Engineering. Did I understand you correctly?" he asked.

"Well, yes, that's true— "

"So, you are Lt. Uhura's de facto superior officer, are you not?" Jones continued, cutting him off. "Knowing of her capabilities, did you order the lieutenant not to transport down to the surface?" He grinned again.

Scotty adopted a sheepish smile of his own.

"Well now, Lt. Cmdr.," he said, "if you had let me finish testifyin' I would ha' told ye, while Communications is considered a part of Engineerin' while dirtside, on a starship it's another story altogether. Communications is its own department on the Enterprise. While I out rank Lt. Uhura and could ha' given her such an order, it wouldnae be accurate to call me her 'superior officer'."

Grimacing at the convoluted non-answer, Jones forged on.

"_Did_ you give her such an order?" he asked.

Scotty blinked, feigning confusing.

"Well, no, Lt. Cmdr.," he answered innocently.

Jones's face was turning an unhealthy shade of red.

"Why _not_?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Because Cmdr. Spock had already ordered her not to go doon, hadn't he?" was Scotty's reply.

Although his frustration was clear, Jones apparently wasn't quite ready to give up.

"A few moments ago, you said 'And from what I now know of the situation, it certainly sounds as if it were necessary,'" he recited, looking at a data padd. "Were you referring to what you know of the captain's medical condition? Do you by any chance have a medical degree, Lt. Cmdr. Scott?"

"No," Scotty told the court, "and no."

Jones's head snapped up and the hand holding the padd dropped to his side.

"Would you care to expound on that statement, Lt. Cmdr.?" he asked in a voice that said he was dreading the testimony that would surely result.

"Well," said Scotty, "I wasnae referring to the captain's condition, and I doonae have a medical degree."

Jones closed his eyes for a long moment before asking his next question.

"What," he gritted out, "exactly were you referring to, then?"

"I may not speak as many languages as Lt. Uhura," he said, quite seriously, his accent far less pronounced, "but my mother _did_ insist that I learn the Gaelic as a boy.

"The Deoraíochti's language is based on Irish, but it has many elements of Highland Gaelic in it, as well. Now, this is all the more apparent in its written form, ye ken," he explained. "I read their Taoiseach's orders concerning Captain Kirk, you see. And then I went back and read their law concerning medical care for criminals. I was able to glean enough information to alert Dr. McCoy that the captain's life could be in danger."

Scotty watched all the color drain out of Jones's face.

"But," he said, "I no' tellin' ye anythin' ye don't already ken. It was all in _my_ report, now wasn't it?"

Jones stormed over to the prosecution table and began scrolling through several padds lying there. He must have found what he was looking for because, suddenly, he froze and stiffened.

"No further questions, Lt. Cmdr. Scott," he said without even turning around.

* * *

_Right now_, _visiting room_

"There are two things I do not understand, Nyota," Spock said, reaching out a hand to stroke hers. He was gratified when she did not pull back for three point two seconds. "Lt. Cmdr. Jones's incompetence has become increasingly obvious as your court martial continues. First, why was this case allowed to reach the point of court martial, when all evidence suggests that you acted appropriately when you disobeyed my orders?

"Second, why are the judges allowing the court martial to continue, when they must realize by now that there is little chance that you will be convicted of any crime? It is a waste of time and resources."

Nyota smiled at him and in that moment, the human expression "it was like the sun coming out" flitted through his mind.

"I suspect the answer to your first question is that Nathan Jones's step-father was a well-respected Federation representative. He had high hopes for his step-son's Starfleet career. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, he died before Jones graduated," she told him. "The answer to your second question is a little more complex.

"Jones isn't the only one who resents Kirk getting the Enterprise. You know that. It's actually surprising that we haven't been targeted before. I think the judges are trying to send a message to anyone else who might try to get to Jim through his crew. Command has faith in him and in the people he chose as his senior officers.

"If they let Jones embarrass himself enough… ."

She left the statement unfinished, but Spock knew were she was leading.

"Ah," he said, "the Terran expression that begins 'give him enough rope' must be applicable in this case."

"Exactly," she said.

* * *

Author's Notes: I made a small edit but important to chapter 2. I had the date in Uhura's log off by 10 years! Also, I should have noted that when Uhura told Kirk "there are things about me you don't know" refers to a secret revealed in later chapters of TeaOli's _Once and Future_. I'd tell you, but then she'd have to commit the female equivalent of fratricide.

I know, this chapter is _not_ angsty, but I thought a little comic relief was in order. Tea would have done it with Bones, but I think Scotty is a better choice going by the movie and he's been ignored way too much.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


	6. Day Three, part II

_Four weeks earlier, the Enterprise_

"I did not foresee, given the results of the your actions on Tír ar Deoraíocht, such an outcome," he told her. "My report was thorough because I have always believed that they should be. It was never my intention to see you reprimanded, Nyota. I cannot believe that the inquiry will end in your court martial."

She scoffed at him and his attempt at apologizing.

"Then you have more faith in Starfleet Command than I do," she said, laughing without humor. "You seem to forget that there are a few people out who have been just waiting for us to screw up. Command can't ignore them forever."

"You saved Jim's life, Nyota," he pointed out.

Laughing again, she folded her arms across her chest.

"And there are some who probably wish I had let him die."

For the first time, Spock began to doubt that the investigation was routine. He realized, for the first time since filing his report, that he may have ruined the life of the woman he still loved.

* * *

_Right now, the courtroom_

"Lt. Uhura," Emma Hargrove intoned, "why did you return to the surface of Tír ar Deoraíocht in spite of Cmdr. Spock's order that you were to remain on the Enterprise?"

Uhura sat in the witness box, entirely composed. She was ready for the rest of her representative's questions. All she could do was continue to tell the truth. The rest was out of her hands.

"I could not be certain that Cmdr. Spock was privy to all information I had about the Deoraíochti," she testified, and as I believed time to be of the essence, I did not think the captain had time for me to convince the commander that my concerns were valid, look into the exact charges against the captain and then present a report to the commander advising him to take the action I had already suggested we take. The Deoraíochti are not usually a patient people. I could not afford to be patient, so determining that utilizing subsection 23 of Regulation 533.77 was my — and Captain Kirk's — only option, I disobeyed Cmdr. Spock's order."

Hargrove nodded as she paced.

"You say you weren't sure Cmdr. Spock was aware of everything you knew about the Deoraíochti," she stated. "Was this information not a part of the official report you submitted prior to the Enterprise achieving orbit around their planet?"

Uhura let a bit of the wry touch her smile. Unconsciously, her eyes found Spock's. He would not shoulder the blame alone in this, she decided.

"It was," she said, "but I noted that my knowledge had not come from the official Federation dossier on them. What I knew, I learned from my childhood visits among their people. While Deoraíochti take a hard line with offending adults, they are remarkably indulgent with inquisitive children.

"They allowed me a greater freedom among their history and law books when I was a teenager than they would have given me now. My decision was based on what I learned then, and I said so in my report."

"And what information was that, Lt. Uhura?" Hargrove asked.

"I knew that criminals are considered guilty until proven innocent," she told the court, "and that, much like the old practices during witch trials on Earth, an individual often had to prove his innocence through surviving, or not surviving, a poorly treated injury. As it had been many years since I read the laws, I was unable to immediately determine which applied in my captain's case."

Hargrove gave another short nod.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said. "No further questions."

Nathan Jones didn't bother hiding his disdain as he rose to begin his cross examination.

"Lt. Uhura," he said, sneering just a little, "do you expect us to believe that you based your decision to defy the orders of your superior officer on information you gleaned from peeks at law books nearly a decade ago?"

Uhura's gaze remained steadily trained on the prosecutor. She had expected more from him after the debacle with Scotty the day before. _Perhaps he has something else up his sleeve_, she thought. _Maybe he's trying to lull me into a sense of overconfidence by pretending to continue to be inept_. She suspected that was not the case, but remained vigilant in case the man was more intelligent than he had so far showed himself to be.

"Yes, Lt. Cmdr. Jones," was she said.

Jones sneered a little more, spinning on his heels so that everyone — judges, witnesses, Starfleet observers — got the full effect of his glee.

"So, you're saying that you disregarded the opinion of one of Starfleet's most distinguished officers because of something you _think_ you remember reading as a child?" he asked, sounding sufficiently incredulous.

Uhura only just stopped her eyes from rolling.

"Yes, Lt. Cmdr.," she repeated, "I do. As official reports from both Lt. Cmdr. Scott and new information provided to the Federation as required by the terms of the negotiations confirmed my beliefs, I sincerely hope that you also agree that my memories were correct."

A quiet tittering around the courtroom had Jones's face turning almost purple. Uhura decided that he couldn't possibly have any hidden weapons to save his case. Still, he wasn't the only person in Starfleet who wanted to see her crew fail, so she refrained from openly enjoying his missteps.

"So, your defiance had nothing to do with the fact that Cmdr. Spock, formerly your _lover_, who had already informed you if his intentions to set you aside in order to do his duty to his people—a duty he put off until _after_ he completed his duty to Starfleet—was the one who issued the order?" He smiled smugly as he awaited her answer. "A lucky break, maybe, Lieutenant? You memory turning out to be accurate?"

She almost felt sorry for him. A tiny part of her was in awe of his tenacity; the rest of her wondered why anyone would ruin his own career out jealousy for James T. Kirk.

"I—," she started to answer.

"That's enough!" barked the lead judge, cutting her off. "These proceeding are over. It is clear to this court that Lt. Cmdr. Jones has brought a case before us that has very little merit, and that he is not prepared to expand upon what little evidence he has that Lt. Uhura acted improperly. You are obviously innocent of the charge of endangering the peace of the Federation, Lt. Uhura.

"While you have admitted to disobeying a superior officer, you stated your intention to do so within the guidelines outlined in Starfleet Regulation 533.77, subsection 23 prior to taking any action. This court finds that you did, in fact, act within those guidelines, so no further action need be taken against you.

"You may step down, Lieutenant. You are free to return to your post."

Uhura tried, and failed, to hold back a grin that lit her whole face as her eyes traveled from Kirk, to Bones then Scotty before finally coming to rest on Spock. She stood, and her crewmates mirrored her. Forcing herself to walk slowly, she made her way over to them, stopping only to thank Emma Hargrove on the way.

Then, she was surrounded by friends whose faces were shining with smiles that matched the one she knew she wore. Bones swept her up in a hug that lifted her off her feet, and when Scotty got his hands on her, he one-upped the doctor with an enthusiastic, and noisy, kiss.

"Let's go home, Uhura," Kirk said, just grinning at her.

And, feeling a too-warm hand on her back, she followed her captain out of the courtroom.

* * *

_Earlier, the visiting room_

"This is about more than the court martial, Spock," she said, breathing out a sigh that said more about what she was feeling than any words she had spoken to him over the past two years. "Do you even understand how my heart was broken when you told me you would be leaving me? That, at the most, I would have five more years with you before I had to give you to some other woman? I can't tell you—"

"I _know_, Nyota," he said, cutting her off. "I know because … my own heart broke in that moment, as well. Until I saw your face that day, I had convinced myself that we would both learn to live contentedly with my choice. Until that day, I believed no further losses could make my pain any worse than it already was."

His breath caught in his throat when she took his hand in hers. He could feel her compassion and understanding. But he also felt her resolution, and her disagreement.

"No one should have to endure the pain you felt, k'diwa," she told him. "I was willing to carry a portion of it for you, even though I knew I could not shield you from the worst of it. Even though I knew I could never take enough of it away from you. We had been so powerless against Nero. There was so little I could do except be there when you needed me afterwards.

"But when you told me you were leaving after all, that was _your_ decision. _You_ had taken back some of the power he stole from you, but I still had so little. You left me with nothing I could give you without risking breaking myself."

When she would have pulled away, ending the tsunami of grief and anguish that flowed through their linked fingers, he held on and sent back comprehension and contrition and regret and _love_. He broadcasted his need to protect her from future sorrow.

"I'm a Starfleet officer — for now, anyway. You can't save me from every danger, Spock," she replied, as if he had spoken his intentions aloud. "Look at what happened the last time you tried. Can you honestly say that you won't fuck up again? Do you truly believe that if I get out of this okay — I probably will. even if they have to reassign me, there are reasons why they can't afford to leave me rotting here. I should have remembered that. But, five, ten years down the road — if I _am_ serving under you again, how am I supposed to trust that one day you aren't going to decide your way is better than mine and that only Command can figure out which of us is right?"

"As you have pointed out, several times, I am not perfect," he answered. "There will undoubtedly be times in the future when I will not agree with your decisions, and when you will not like the way in which I address our disagreements, but I shall continue to endeavor to improve my record, beloved. And, in the future, I believe I shall try to emulate Captain Kirk and deal with any such differences of opinion with you directly."

She looked away, her jaw tensing and he felt the muscles in his abdomen clench as he realized his promise had fallen short of what she wanted — needed — to hear from him. Spock steeled himself for her reply, vowing that this would not be the end. Giving up was no more an option than offering her empty promises of an always completely harmonious union had been.

When she looked at him again, he resisted a strong need to retreat into Vulcan stoicism. Laying his hope bare on his face, he stared back at her.

"No matter what I say, you're just going to keep coming back, aren't you?" she asked, softening just a little. "You'll find me, week after week if that's what it takes, until I give in. You can't give up, can you?"

"I will not abandon you again, Nyota," he said, echoing his words from two days before.

"Does what _I_ want matter at all?"

She was surprised to see him look sheepish, although his next words, without the look, would have come across as arrogant.

"Of course your desires matter," he said. "You want _me_. I wish to give myself to you. The question is, can you forgive me and accept what I am offering. Can you put aside your mistrust and your pride to take what you desire, Nyota? I am yours. No matter what you say, I know this is what you want and I will do all in my power to give it to you."

He was right, and she hated that. There was no hiding her deepest wishes from someone who could read her feelings through touch. Still, she hated that he knew. But she was smart enough to recognize the futility in fighting against truth.

"This would all be easier for me if I were to just say 'yes' right now, wouldn't it?" Her tone was wry, but just as she expected, he took the question seriously.

"I do not know," he told her honestly, "but I will continue to woo you if that is what you require."

She smiled at that.

"I like the thought of you wooing me, k'diwa," she said, "but the act is unnecessary. You love me. I love you. You realize how royally you fucked up. We can only move up from here."

He studied her intently. The look in his eyes was familiar. He'd done the same often in the days and weeks and months before, nearly four years ago, he had declared that she would make an adequate mate — that he was hers if she so desired.

"Does that satisfy you, beloved?" he asked. "Is this enough?"

She smiled, recognizing the uncertainty he did not fully express.

"It's enough," she assured him, "for now, anyway. You'll have a lifetime to make up for the rest."

* * *

Author's Note: That's the end of the road, everyone. This final chapter is unbeta'ed because Tea is too far behind in her own work to keep up. Hope it reads okay, anyway. Please R&R. As StarTrekFanWriter always says, it's the only way fanfic writers get paid.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Star Trek concepts or characters nor I am receiving compensation for using them in my stories.


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